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When playing games or gambling online you need to keep yourself, and your personal information, protected at all times. In part 1 of this article we cover the basic rules of safety in online gaming, how to set up secure and effective passwords, and more tips and tricks to keep yourself protected online. Read more.

Internet Safety Basics

The world of online gaming and gambling provides unlimited entertainment and excitement, but before you draw your first hand at the poker table there are a few safety measures you need to take in order to protect your personal information. Firstly, you need to make sure your computer is protected by anti-virus and anti-malware software. This may seem obvious, but it is important to make sure you have good anti-virus software protecting you from viruses and malicious software that could compromise your personal data, or potentially destroy your computer. Installing this software (and, importantly, keeping it up to date) is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you are that little bit safer while gaming online. If you are using a public computer, be careful of entering personal information such as credit card details and passwords as you probably won’t know who has access to it after you leave. Some sites and software will automatically save user information and passwords and this could easily be exploited by anyone who uses that computer after you. Be sure to clear any information you input and check twice, maybe a third time, that your username and passwords aren’t saved anywhere on the computer.

Passwords and Security

Your password is the most important piece of information you have. Make it a rule to use strong passwords and try not to use the same password for multiple sites. Using a combination of upper and lower case letters, different numbers and characters, makes your password harder to guess or figure out. The more complex and varied the combination, the stronger your password is, and the safer you are from having your information or account stolen. When creating an account on an online gambling site and deciding on a username for your profile, remember that this is what other players will see when you are playing with them. Avoid using a real name or divulging personal information that you don’t want anyone online to have access to.

Site Verification and Fairness

Unfortunately not all casino and gambling sites are trustworthy, and you are required to do a little bit of research to ensure that the site you want to use is secure, safe, legal and fair. There are a number of ways you can tell if a website is trustworthy; here are five of the most common safeguards to look for to help you get started. Data encryption Casinos use data encryption to turn any information you send them into unbreakable strings of code. This is the same method of encryption that banks use, so it is generally reliable. Always remember not to share any information with any online casino or gambling site that does not encrypt your data. Random Number Generators (RNG) Casinos use RNG to deal the games – they are a way of creating fairness in the games as well as preventing them from being hackable. There are third-party companies that test the RNG of casinos to make sure that they are fair and which will typically award the casino with a badge for their site, so check for this on any site you visit. Privacy Policies Privacy policies are those massive walls of text that you get whenever you sign up for a service or an account online. Although they are usually skimmed over, or not read at all, they are incredibly important and shouldn’t be dismissed or ignored, as this is where the company is legally bound to reveal how they plan to use your information. Stick to casinos that state explicitly that they will not sell or rent your information in any way; this way you know that your information is protected by legal safeguards. Casino Terms The casino terms are another form of a privacy policy, only here you will find information about how the website runs the casino with regards to things like welcome bonuses and cash-out policies. It is recommended that you take a screenshot of these terms when you sign up, as some rogue casinos can change these terms in the case of a casino vs. player dispute, in order to avoid paying out to the player. Gaming Licenses Just like any brick-and-mortar casino, for an online casino to legally “open its doors” to the public, it needs to have a gaming license. Most online casinos post the commission that issued their license somewhere on the front page of their website, so check for that when you are looking for somewhere to play, and check that the commission that issued the license is reputable and official.

Protect Your Information

We will touch more on how you can best protect your personal information in part 2 of this article, but it is such an important part of staying safe online that it can never be repeated too often: Do not reveal your username or password to anyone on any website, ever. Be extremely careful about what information you reveal about yourself and your account when talking to other players. If you feel ready to dive into the exciting world of online gambling and want to hit the slots, the poker table or try your hand at some sports betting in a safe and secure environment, then why not start with playMGM.

Terms & Conditions

MGM International

We are licensed and regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as an Internet gaming operator in accordance with the Casino Control Act N.J.S.A. 5:12-1 and its implementing regulations. Our games are tested by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to provide games that are fair and operate correctly. Only customers 21 and over are permitted to play our games. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER